Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost10:00 am Worship

Sunday, August 14

Our scriptures for Sunday deal with the surprising nature of how God works in and through time. A lot of us think of time as simply a linear marker of events in our lives. Modern physics and mathematics, though, suggest that time has a more complex relationship with space and matter than we once thought. Where is God in the midst of our past, present, and future? Join us at 10:00 am to find out!

This Week

SUNDAY AUGUST 14

Adult Summer Engagement Series: The Arc of Moral Justice

Sunday, August 14

Technology, Entertainment and Design. These are the three words that make up the acronym TED, a global sharing of wisdom from people working in a variety of vocations and disciplines. This Sunday, August 14, we welcome all to the next session in this summer Adult Faith Formation series as we call on TED’s wisdom to open our minds and spirits to respond to our call to work towards justice and peace in our lives, communities, and around the world.

The Boards of Outreach & Social Justice, Christian Education, and Deacons have selected a variety of topics to help further our discernment on our congregation’s Mission and Vision Statement. We begin at 9:00 am in Room 8 with video and discussion (and end in plenty of time to get to worship). We will share in follow-ups from what we witnessed together, answering the question, "What is God calling us to do with this information?" The series runs each Sunday through August 28.

Upcoming Topics

Sunday, August 14 - Faith and Nationalism, featuring George Takei

Sunday, August 21 - Interpersonal Connection, featuring Sherry Turkle

Sunday, August 28 - The New Jim Crow, featuring Adam Foss

School Supply Collection to Benefit ACCA, Main Street and Alternative House

Sunday, August 14

The Board of Outreach and Social Justice (BOSJ) will be collecting school supplies for children served by the ACCA Child Development Center in Annandale, Main Street Child Development Center in Fairfax, and Alternative House: The Abused and Homeless Children's Refuge in Vienna. Donated supplies will be collected this Sunday, August 14.

Alternative House is collecting filled back packs for teens including: a medium to large backpack with lined paper, spiral notebook or composition book, pens, pencils, pencil pouch/holder, crayons, scissors and glue sticks.

Please join us during Fellowship Hour to help sort the school supplies and prepare them for delivery.

In addition, we need your help in contacting the Fairfax County School Board to show our support for LGBTQ students. If you would like to support transgender students and their right to attend school free from discrimination, please join us after worship today to write to your School Board member. Draft letters and member contact information will be provided. See below.

Writing to your FCPS School Board Member

Sunday, August 14

The Board of Outreach and Social Justice (BOSJ) is asking for your help in contacting the Fairfax County School Board to show our support for LGBTQ students.

The School Board voted in May 2015 to extend the FCPS non-discrimination policy (Policy 1450) to include gender identity. On July 18, 2016, the Fairfax County School Board temporarily suspended implementation of the proposed regulation regarding gender non-conforming and transgender students to evaluate the legal issues surrounding the regulation.

If you would like to support transgender students and their right to attend school free from discrimination, please join BOSJ in writing to your School Board member asking the Board to move forward with implementation of the proposed regulation. Draft letters and member contact information will be provided. We will be in the social hall after worship on Sunday.

Follow Up Meeting -- Dismantling the New Jim Crow

Sunday, August 14

Little River UCC is working to implement programming to increase advocacy for dismantling the New Jim Crow and to pursue reform of the school to prison pipeline. The Board of Outreach and Social Justice has created an implementation team that met on July 31. The team plans a follow up meeting for Sunday, August 14 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm in the Conference Room. If you were not able to make the first meeting, and are interested in being a part of the team, please email
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and plan to join us at this meeting.

Fair Trade Sales Reminder

Sunday, August 14

Fair Trade Sales are happening this Sunday. Stock up on your supplies of coffee, chocolate, and Palestinian olive oil while providing fair compensation to farmers in less-developed countries. A portion of the olive sales supports Tent of Nations and its peace-building programs in the West Bank.

Annual Floor Cleaning

Sunday-Tuesday, August 14-16

The annual church floor waxing and carpet cleaning begins August 14 after Fellowship Hour. The building will be closed from Sunday at noon until Tuesday, August 16 at 9:00 am.

Next Week

Men's Fellowship Brunch

Monday, August 15

Little River UCC Men's Fellowship will gather at 10:00 am on Monday, August 15 at First Watch Restaurant in Fairfax City (9600 Main Street) for brunch and fellowship. Please let
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know via email or phone (cell: 202-329-8641) if you will be participating. The Men's Fellowship is open to all ages.

Recognition Brunch for Hank Fairman

Sunday, August 21

Please plan on attending a special recognition brunch for Hank on August 21 immediately following the 10:00 am service (11:15 am – 12:45 pm). This will be an opportunity to thank Hank for his contributions to Little River UCC and to wish him, his wife Christina, and their daughter Ellie well in all their future endeavors. You are encouraged to bring your favorite brunch potluck items such as breakfast casseroles, breads, rolls, and salads.

If you have photos, a letter or artwork that you would like to offer to Hank or would like to share, please send to
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no later than August 14 for insertion in a memory book. If you would like to help, or have any questions, please contact
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.

Safe Church Training

Sunday, August 28

All teens and adults are invited to attend Safe Church training on Sunday, August 28 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm in Room 8. Safe Church training is required every two years for anyone who works with children and youth at Little River UCC — including child care, church school, First Friday, and Pilgrim Youth Fellowship.

Training is open to every member and friend — and encouraged for all. For those who are currently trained and in need of renewal, please plan on attending this training to keep your Safe Church status up-to-date! Questions? Please see
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.

More Church News

Ministry Models Update

How does Little River position itself for the future?

What are some possible approaches to ministry models for our church?

In July, the ministry models team met with the Rev. Dr. Claire Bamberg of the Center for Progressive Renewal to talk about ministry models in today’s churches. Each of us shared our hopes for Little River UCC, and we considered the ministries that our Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. David Lindsey brings to our church. We also considered the gifts and ministries that we are losing as Hank moves on.

Claire asked us to think with our hearts, noting that if we can articulate our needs, then we can find it as we look forward into the future. So, we were charged with writing down what we saw as possible future models for the church. Next steps will be comparing and contrasting all these ideas, and Claire will also use them to flesh out the feedback she received from the congregation as a whole – all to culminate in our meeting with her in October. Lastly, look around you at church and find someone you haven’t spoken with or gotten to know. Ask them their thoughts about Little River UCC, why they come, and what they hope to see in the future. The more we speak with each other, and share our vision, the clearer our vision of the future will be.

Little River UCC Needs You!

There are immediate openings for positions on several Boards and Committees of Little River UCC.

QUALIFICATIONS: willing to work short hours; enthusiasm; being a team player. On the job training is provided.

BENEFITS: getting to work with other great people; helping your church accomplish necessary immediate tasks and long term goals, and having an opportunity to contribute ideas for your church’s future.

CURRENT OPENINGS: Board of Trustees, Board of Outreach and Social Justice, Board of Christian Education, Music Committee and Stewardship Committee, to name a few.

For more information, please contact
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,
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,
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or
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(contact information in the church directory), all part of your friendly "Human Resources" committee, otherwise known as Nominations and Appointments. We look forward to talking with you.

Summer Nursery Volunteers Needed

Ms. Yris needs your help! Ms. Lia is on vacation for the rest of the summer and Ms. Yris is flying solo with the little ones during the 10:00 am service. Can you volunteer to help out in the nursery one or more Sundays between until September 4? No experience needed – just a good peek-a-boo face! Contact
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if you can help out.

Hands-On Sunday Project — Stop Hunger Now

Please save the date for our 5th Stop Hunger Now meal packing event to help feed children with limited resources around the world. Thanks to the generous contributions received through the Easter Fund, on Sunday, September 25, we will gather in the social hall from 3:00 to 5:00 pm to pack 20,000 highly nutritious meals. Between setup, packing, and cleanup, there will be opportunities for people of all abilities and ages (four and up) to participate. More details about sign-up and volunteer needs to come in September.

VOICE Assembly: Deliver the Promise

The Board of Outreach and Social Justice would like to encourage you to attend VOICE’s (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) meeting on Sunday, October 16 from 3:30-5:30 pm at Oakton High School (2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181). State and local officials will address concerns about schools, housing, safety and community in Northern Virginia. This is an opportunity for you to stand with your neighbors and demand a more just Northern Virginia. For more detailed information please see their information online.

Be a Social Host for International Students at Northern Virginia Community College

The United States Department of State’s Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) provides participants from underserved areas and underrepresented groups with a one-year, non-degree academic program at a U.S. community college. This year there are 32 participants at NOVA from Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, and Yemen. The Board of Outreach and Social Justice encourages you to consider being a "Social Host" to one or more of these students.

What is a Social Host? A social host is someone who provides a CCIP participant with friendship and opportunities to be involved with a family in the United States. This opportunity offers a mutual exchange of culture and perspectives as the social host family and the hosted student both interactively share and expand one another’s world views.

Social Hosts are expected to attend an orientation prior to meeting with your student(s). The CCI Program will coordinate a "meet & greet" in late August. After that, we ask that you meet with your student once a month throughout the academic year. Although not required, opening your home to a student for Thanksgiving would be an amazing opportunity for them to learn about a very American holiday. Students are expected to pay their own way for activities unless otherwise offered by the social host. To find out more or to register, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/ccisocialhost2016.

Summer Worship Schedule and Office Hours

Sundays from Memorial Day, May 24 to Labor Day, September 4, our worship service will take place at 10:00 am. We are currently accepting comments on whether to resume two services or not starting on Rally Day, September 11.

From Tuesday, May 31 to Friday, September 2 the office will be working on summer hours of 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Church Council News

Little River UCC Committee Meeting Updates

Board of Outreach and Social Justice (July 24, 2016): The Board of Outreach and Social Justice met on Sunday, July 24 in the Conference Room. This was Hank's last meeting with our Board. We will miss his guidance and support; Hank has been a great asset to our work during his time at LRUCC. The Board discussed the upcoming switch to one Sunday service and the impact on our programming opportunities. We also reviewed the summer TED Talk Series and received positive feedback from members who had guided sessions. We also discussed ongoing work to frame the map of the slave graves on the property for permanent display at the church. August will see our annual school supply drive with donations targeted to ACCA, Main Street Development Center, and Alternative House. Collection will take place on August 7 and 14. Our annual coat drive for Thrive DC will begin on September 11 at Rally Day and efforts will be made to reach out to the wider community. The Board discussed a request for guidance from the Trustees about budget needs for the 2017 fiscal year and agreed on a recommendation for the level of benevolence giving and programmatic funding for our Board. Work is moving forward to plan events supported by the grant received from the Potomac Association to end the New Jim Crow. A planning meeting will take place on Sunday, July 31 and is open to anyone interested in helping plan activities. Our Board continues to seek opportunities to support and uphold the church's ONA position. We considered an invitation to work with Rev. Emma Chattin of the TransGender Education Association to offer a program to help deepen our understanding of and support as allies to the transgender community. We will be in touch with Rev. Chattin to schedule a visit sometime in October. The Board also had a lengthy and heartfelt discussion about how we can help the LRUCC community live out our faith during these troubling times. We will seek to partner with other Boards of the church to find ways to gather as a community - both the church community and our surrounding neighbors - and build bonds so those in need of support feel connected, supported, and heard. Finally, the Board discussed a proposal from David Lindsey to utilize money from the Thelma Morris Fund to hire a part-time support person to help BOSJ continue its mission work. We discussed the skills that Hank brought to our board and the related staff needs we might need over the coming months. We voted to support David's proposal should the guidelines of the Thelma Morris Fund allow it.

Board of Trustees (June 21, 2016): On Tuesday, July 19, the Trustees discussed the many leaks in the ceiling and the church's flat roof. After a lengthy conversation, the Trustees agreed that something had to be done. They are now in the process of finding a structural engineer to offer perspective on what options we have. Email
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to learn more!

Christian Education (July 11, 2016): The Board of Christian Education is preparing for the absence of Hank and making sure that we are ready and able to continue our efforts without him. This includes maintenance of records and continuation of programming to meet the needs of the congregation. Our summer programming for the children is off to a good start with strong attendance and almost a completely filled slate of volunteers. In partnership with other Boards and Committees, out TED Talks series has also been well attended and well received. We are also looking forward to the fall program season and are lining up volunteers to make sure that we can fulfill our plan. As always, if you are interested in volunteering, please see Saundra Honeysett.

Endowment Fund Committee (July 13, 2016): At its quarterly meeting, members were delighted to learn that ten years after establishment of the Fund, total contributions as of June 30 had reached $257,232, putting the Fund over the threshold of $250,000 to enable disbursements. Second quarter contributions were $23,100, including a $10,000 bequest from the estate of Eleanor Wulff and many gifts from the congregation in response to a $4,000 challenge grant. The market value of the Fund on June 30 was $360,000. An amendment will be presented at the next congregational meeting to correct an error in the Endowment Fund Policy that would have drastically limited disbursements, after which some $12,000 will become available for 2017, per guidelines contained in the Policy.

Finance Committee (June 20, 2016): The Finance Committee meeting on June 20 discussed several recent financial situations that have occurred to clarify how they were being handled. We also discussed preliminary comments received regarding draft policies. One such proposed policy, on paying members of the congregation for services rendered to LRUCC, has been circulated to church leaders for comment. It notes that since Little River UCC is sustained largely by the active voluntary participation of the congregation, it is the exception to pay members for services provided to the church and requires that any such exceptions have the prior approval of the Governance Board. A full statement of the draft policy and the supporting discussion is available here. This proposed policy will be submitted to the Governance Board for approval in the next few months. Any comments on this draft policy can be submitted to the
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. Next meeting will be August 3.

Personnel Committee (June 22, 2016): The Personnel Committee continues to tweak language of the Employee Handbook as needed; is working on a charter for Governance Board approval; and has begun drafting a "How-To" manual for the committee's work. The committee also continues advising David Lindsey on position descriptions and personnel issues.

Full minutes of Church Council, Governance Board, and Ministry Board meetings are posted on this webpage. Vision and Governance Power Point Presentation (Originally presented in the December 2015 town hall meetings.)